


Nepenthe

by OliviaTheCat



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: BAMF Women, F/F, Female Protagonist, Friends to Lovers, POV Female Character, Women Being Awesome
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-05
Updated: 2020-09-22
Packaged: 2021-03-06 08:07:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25720042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OliviaTheCat/pseuds/OliviaTheCat
Summary: Spies sometimes get blindsided by shiny things, and Darcy shone brighter than anything Natasha had ever seen.
Relationships: Clint Barton & Darcy Lewis, Darcy Lewis & Steve Rogers, Darcy Lewis & Thor, Darcy Lewis & Tony Stark, Darcy Lewis/Natasha Romanov, Jane Foster & Darcy Lewis, Maria Hill & Darcy Lewis, Nick Fury & Darcy Lewis
Comments: 9
Kudos: 78





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you @cherryslibrary and @maestrowave for all your help!

**Part 1**

Natasha wanted to justify being here as a mandatory part of some assignment or at the very least as a search for information in an undercover mission, she really did. 

Yet, as she pulled off her shoes and wandered barefoot into the living-room, she failed to come up with a valid excuse for being there- other than the truth, of course. She enjoyed being there. 

There was no point in lying to herself. 

She enjoyed Darcy’s company more than she’d like to admit, but she was way over trying to deny her feelings. 

***

It started when she was invited in for some fancy coffee that Darcy, who was a complete stranger at the moment, had brought from one of her many adventures with the Science Division to South America. This happened back when SHIELD was still a thing and everyone was still recovering from the Battle of New York. Things took a while to regain their pace, but routines slowly fell into place and life started to seem normal once again.

She had been free for the afternoon after a particularly boring training session with what they like to call baby agents. Level 5 and 6 were the most fun to work with, but she occasionally had to train with the newer recruits to get them accustomed to the kind of things they’d have to deal with once they were more seasoned agents. 

A few former Marines and a CIA agent caught her eye, and she’d have to make sure to tell Hill about their potential. The rest were still too new to leave a lasting impression, but she heard from Clint there were some good prospects there. 

Fresh from the shower she headed towards the small office she called her own and prepared for a long afternoon filing paperwork. A good hour in, the unmistakable ring on her phone told her she was being summoned for a meeting, most likely to discuss the intel obtained on the terrorist cell in Artvin. 

A sharp rap on the door came just then, clearly signaling her to come out.

“You got the call too?” Clint asked her once she’d opened the door and handed her a folder full of papers. 

“What’s this?” 

“HR caught up with us,” he sighed regretfully. “They got May to deliver this.”

“They got May? How did they do that?”

“I don’t know,” he said. “Must have been hell of a bribe.”

“Uh-huh,” Natasha hummed, skimming through the file. There were some forms she had been meaning to fill out for a while and the annual update on personal data. Closing the folder, they made their way towards Fury’s office in companionable silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

And then, they saw  _ her _ . And this is when it all started.

Darcy Lewis ran to greet the two with enthusiasm, her grin bright and wide. She was a petite woman with long dark hair and clear, blue, doe-like eyes. She was wearing a labcoat, each pocket full of pens and a wad of sticky notes threatening to fall. 

“Hey! Whatcha doing?” She asked, curious eyes attempting to pry any information possible from the pair.

“Reports.” Clint pursed his lips, holding his folder up. 

“Well, if you two have time later drop by my place for coffee-” She winked at them- “I just came back from Brazil and brought some  _ a-mazing _ blends.” 

Natasha’s first reaction was to narrow her eyes at the brunette. She had to fight the urge to scowl slightly, but she instead slid into her perfected disinterested mask. To say that Natasha was unaccustomed to receive casual invites was an understatement, preferring to remain on her own most of the time. 

Her nature being to search for double meanings and hidden agendas in things made her instantly suspicious of the woman. Staying in constant alert had saved her life multiple times, prompting her to assess every possible threat that the brunette could pose for the pair. 

She was about to politely refuse the invitation, but Clint beat her to it.

“Sure. We have to get this out of the way, though.”

Natasha, having remained silent at his side had not managed more than a nod in greeting. She didn’t expect the bright, sincere smile on the woman’s face.

“Great! Does seven work for you?”

“Agent Barton, Agent Romanoff,” a stern voice came from down the hall. Deputy Director Hill stepped into view and headed towards them.

“Gotta run. See you later!” The woman, Darcy, walked away in the direction of the labs grinning widely. “Good afternoon, boss lady!” She waved at Hill, who couldn’t hide the small smile that graced her lips at her antics. 

This small detail surprised Natasha, who hadn’t seen Hill smile like that in a long time. They both had known each other for a long time, and judging by the warm display of emotion she knew Hill trusted the brunette, at least to a certain degree. 

“Director Fury is waiting for you,” Maria said without a pause. 

“I almost forgot,” Clint said sarcastically.

“That report better be complete by next week, Barton,” Hill warned. “I heard May was going to go after your arrows if you missed another debrief.”

“Aww, not my arrows, no.”

*

“Come on Nat, Darcy texted earlier and said she was making dinner,” Clint’s voice came from beside her in the shooting range. 

They had come to practice an hour ago to let out some of the steam that the long, tedious meeting had caused for them . Natasha threw an unimpressed glance in the archer’s direction, not missing a single shot while distracted.

“Do I have to go?” Was her annoyed reply. She hadn’t meant for her tone to be so biting, but the tension around her shoulder blades was pulling her temper short and she didn’t really want to miss out on a relaxing evening at her own place. She just wanted to take a long bath and continue reading the surprisingly good book she had picked up from her local bookstore a few days ago. 

Breathing hard, she forced herself to calm down while she loaded a new set of bullets. “Why the sudden enthusiasm?”

“Aw, Nat. Don’t be like that,” he began. “When was the last time you went out?” 

She opened her mouth to reply , but was cut off when his tone suddenly became serious. “She’s a good friend, and we both need a bit of normalcy in our lives. You know that.”

Natasha silently wondered how the brunette had managed to befriend the archer. 

Although Clint was normally the more sociable of the two, he still had a hard time trusting others, especially after what had happened in New York. He had become a shadow of the usually cheerful man he was, but he was slowly beginning to recover. It was a welcome change to see him relax around other people and let go of the pent up tension he carried in his body for a bit. 

His friend Darcy Lewis seemed to be easy enough to get along with, all friendly smiles and cheerful personality. If she was good for Clint, it couldn't hurt too much to at least get to know her. 

Natasha knew she had started working for SHIELD after the alien attack in New Mexico, being recruited by Coulson. The brunette had passed all filters and proved to be a good addition to the labs, adapting quickly to the rhythm the scientists carried and proving to be more shrewd than most. 

Soon after her arrival, Deputy Director Hill had taken her as a personal assistant and the young woman had taken the job like a duck to water. 

If nothing else, Natasha was sure the archer must trust this friend of his more than he was letting on for him to want them to meet. The redhead sighed heavily and began to pack her equipment, willing to give it a try, if only to make Clint shut up. 

*

The small building made an odd sight in New York City, as it made sharp contrast with the modern, tall buildings surrounding it. Red bricks and tall windows stood proudly in the middle of a busy street, but the most noticeable thing of all was the large neon sign announcing a Dance Studio on the first floor. 

Clint, being familiar with this building ushered her inside, opening the small black door on the right side of the building with ease. The metal creaked loudly and it made Natasha instantly think of everything that could be a safety hazard to the residents, but she guessed none of these were a concern for the people who lived here. 

Once inside, she noticed the interior of the studio was painted in bright colors, far brighter than Natasha was accustomed to. Habitually, she immediately counted three possible exits, all of which would take her less than twenty seconds to reach in an emergency. She also counted the possible weapons available to her, the glass vase sitting on the receptionist’s desk, the rubber bands used for stretching and the small knife she kept hidden inside the hem of her jacket. 

Still, what held her attention was the purple barre propped against the wall. 

Her toes itched with the need to stretch inside her shoes. 

She hadn’t danced since she left the Red Room, but the moves were so ingrained in her very core that she could still remember each routine step by step and beat by beat. 

Clint’s sudden touch woke her up from her musings, guiding her towards the set of stairs on the far right corner of the room. They arrived at their destination a few minutes later, the entire first floor was occupied by a single apartment.

Clint knocked the door three times, a small smile already dancing on his lips. 

“Hey! You made it!” They were greeted by a bright yellow apron- nearly as bright as the smile Darcy flashed at them. She hugged Clint tightly. 

“Hey Darce,” Clint greeted back, his voice warm and relaxed.

“Hello, Darcy,” Natasha said simply, standing next to Clint. 

“Hi Natasha. It’s a damn pleasure to meet you,” she smiled widely again and just then Natasha noticed a small pair of dimples adorning her face. “Clint has told me so much about you, but I really can’t wait to hear some of the stories from you.”

“I wouldn’t believe all he says,” Natasha smirked, sharing a long look with the archer. “He can get a little creative with his stories sometimes.”

“Ah,” she laughed. “This is gonna be so much fun.” 

“Oh no, there’s two of them,” Clint grumbled, doing his best to hide a smile. 

“You two settle down in the living room and I’ll have dinner ready in a minute,” Darcy said, ushering them to the living room. 

There, a myriad of cushions and quilts artfully placed on the couch came into view. Warm and neutral tones were mixed up experly, giving the apartment a cozy vibe. Everything looked personal and well lived in, as if every object in this place had a story behind it. There was also a stack of books on top of the coffee table, all with well loved spines and a few bookmarks placed through the pages.

“Scoot over,” Darcy said, carrying the food in a tray and placing it on the coffee table with care. 

The spicy smell of curry teased their noses, and the three of them dug in with gusto. Clint had ranted about Darcy’s culinary expertise on their way here, but Natasha hadn’t paid much attention to the archer and his ramblings. Now, she understood Clint's enthusiasm clearly as she found herself really enjoying the food. 

Conversation flowed easily between, and the apartment was filled with laughter and chatter in a matter of minutes. Empty bowls and lukewarm coffee were the only things left from their meal.

“Now tell me, Natasha,” Darcy began once they re-filled their cups with piping hot coffee and a splash of rum. “Did Clint really spill coffee all over HR’s files?” 

Surprised she knew about this particular story, she raised her eyebrow in silent question. Clint answered with the smallest of nods, already grinning from ear to ear remembering his early days at SHIELD.

“Oh, no” she smirked playfully at the pair. “He was much more creative than that.”

“How so?” Darcy asked with a smirk of her own.

“He  _ sneezed. _ ” 

And Darcy dissolved into helpless giggles, accompanied by Natasha's smirk and Clint’s deep laughter.

“See? I told you,” Clint mouthed at her catching her eye for a quick moment.

“Shut up,” was her silent reply, with no real venom behind her words. 

***


	2. Chapter 2

**Part 2**

Gradually, Darcy’s company became a regular thing in Natasha’s life. 

Their unlikely friendship started off with various coffee dates and then turned into movie-nights. The three of them had weekly Friday-night dates involving considerable amounts of take-out and alcohol, only interrupted by the occasional mission or a science bender in one of Darcy’s labs. At some point, Darcy had stopped bothering to prepare ahead and shoved two small identical keys into their hands, telling her and Clint they were welcome anytime. Though Natasha relished the show of trust, she was reluctant to admit she envied her a little for being so carefree.

Before long, she found herself knowing Darcy’s apartment like the back of her hand. She knew exactly where her favorite mug was, where Darcy stored her fancy chocolates and which way to nudge the window lock to open it soundlessly. 

It was so new to her, the feeling of being at ease in a space she didn’t call her own, that she sometimes wondered if it was alright to be so trusting. There were moments in which she felt like backing away and forgetting all about her time spent in Darcy’s company, but with Clint’s gentle support she felt as if she could open up to someone else. 

***

That night, Natasha had arrived a bit earlier than usual and started to boil water in the small red kettle to prepare herself a cup of tea. Clint had been pulled away for a mission in South Sudan and was scheduled to come back in a week. It was not uncommon for them to go on solo missions nowadays. Darcy, for her part, seemed to be running a bit later than usual, and Natasha assumed something must have happened down in the labs. 

Lost in thought, she slowly went through the motions of setting the table and getting the tea ready. Without realizing, she spilled a bit of boiling water into her hand, almost dropping the kettle in the process. Memories from the Red Room flashed before her eyes, the feeling of scalding hot wires tied to her wrists if she didn't learn their routines fast enough. She was left breathless for a moment, blinking the memories away as fast as she could. 

Burning herself with hot water was far from the worst injury she had ever had. It was a small red mark on her flesh really, but the pain was still there. She carefully placed her injured hand under the kitchen faucet and let cold water soothe the pain away. 

“Do you want some balm for that?” A voice said from her right, startling her more than it should have. 

Before she had time to think her actions through, she grabbed one of the knives stored in a container on her left. Whirling around and ready to strike, Clint’s familiar face came into view, an amused smile curling at his lips.

“I thought you were gone for the week,” she answered, shutting off the faucet and returning the knife to its place. 

“Mission went south after an idiot blew up the base.”

“Were you that idiot?” Natasha snarked, pouring two cups of tea and placing them on the table.

“Har, har, Nat. Really funny,” Clint answered, sitting down with a groan. 

They both stayed silent for a few moments, comfortable in each other’s company.

“So,” Clint began. “What has got you so jumpy?”

“Nothing,” she murmured, not tearing her gaze away from the bottom of her cup.

“The last time I snuck up on you, you were half unconscious, with a bullet wound on your shoulder,” he said, his voice neutral.

“It’s nothing,” Natasha reassured the archer, pointedly staring at the vase of flowers sitting happily between them. 

“Ok,” Clint said. “I’ll let you go for now, but if I watch you slip again I call dibs on the quinjet.”

“In your dreams, Barton.”

Loud steps came from the corridor and the distinct sound of keys jingling just before the door opened signaled Darcy’s arrival. 

“I’m home!” She called, her voice bright and cheery.

“In the kitchen!” Clint called back, getting up to pour another cup of tea and placing it next to his.

“Hi Nat, Clint,” Darcy greeted coming into the kitchen carrying an armful of food containers. “I thought you were undercover on a mission.”

“Something came up,” he explained, helping her with her load. 

“That’s code for he messed up and doesn’t want to go back until Fury calms down,” Natasha said, leaning in to whisper into Darcy’s ear.

Darcy giggled, clearly amused by her antics and continued to jab Clint for information. 

“It was one of the idiots from STRIKE team,” Clint added, rolling his eyes. 

“Oh,” Darcy gasped, recognition clear in her eyes. “Those dudes are so hard to work with.”

“How do you know about them?” Natasha asked.

“Maria asked me to coordinate their schedules for the next few months,” Darcy explained, stabbing her fries with her fork. “I lost count on how many emails I had to send requesting information from them.”

“Rollins can be an idiot when he wants to,” Clint said, taking a long pull from his beer. “Want me to set him straight?”

“Nah, I can handle my own,” Darcy smiled. “I threatened to volunteer him as a test subject for Simmon’s new serum. That shut him up pretty good.”

“Nice touch Darcy,” Natasha nodded approvingly.

“I learned from the best,” the brunette smirked, her eyes dancing with mirth. 

***

“You are pulling my leg,” Darcy said, clearly not believing what she just said. “You worked for Stark Industries?!”

“I was in the Legal Department,” Natasha said.

“Please don’t tell me you were a secretary,” Darcy laughed. “It’s just so hard to imagine you as one.”

“I was a PA,” she explained. “I got to work directly for Miss Potts.”

“Is she as awesome as she looks on paper?”

“They got nothing on her,” Natasha admitted truthfully. “Handling Stark is an art on it’s own. I was ready to quit after the first month.”

“He looks like trouble.”

“He is,” Natasha admitted. “But becoming Iron Man gave him a sense of purpose.”

“Because being a genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist isn’t enough,” Clint interrupted, sitting next to them on the couch. “I had ten bucks on him punching Cap at some point.”

“They didn’t get along?” Darcy asked incredulously. 

“Not in the slightest,” Clint grimaced and slid under the quilt she and Darcy were sharing. “Why do you always grab the best blanket?”

“There are at least four blankets next to you, Clint. You just like to hog.” 

“Rude,” Clint complained, but he was really smiling. “Oof, Darcy, why are your feet always so cold?”

“My feet wouldn’t be cold if you let me cover them,” Darcy said, huddling closer to the archer. “Pass me the green blanket, please.”

Reaching for said blanket, Natasha unfolded it and placed it across their laps. 

“See?” Clint asked. “Sharing is caring.”

Rolling her eyes, the redhead burrowed even deeper into her seat and grabbed the remote control to play the movie they had left on pause before.

An hour in, she felt Darcy’s breath slow down and her position relax significantly. She unconsciously tucked into Natasha’s side, leaving no room whatsoever between their bodies. 

“Your feet really are cold, Darcy,” Natasha whispered, so quietly that the words barely left her lips. 

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on Tumblr @tiffpandafan for feels and reblogs


End file.
